This invention relates generally to computer-aided design of building mechanical systems and, more particularly, to a system for enabling the computer-aided development of a design for building mechanical system elements, along with design development drawings, specifications, and cost and scheduling data associated with the design.
Demands for more expedient, more accurate design, cost, and schedule responses to clients' requests for new building and renovation work prompted the development of the invention described herein. Traditionally, architects, engineers, and contractors are pressured to respond ever more quickly to clients' requests for building designs, cost estimates, and construction schedules in connection with construction projects. In addition to needing to respond promptly to their clients requests for information and data, industry companies need to insure that such information and data is accurate. To remain competitive in today's marketplace, the industry also needs to dramatically reduce the time it takes to develop the requested information and data, as well as the overall project delivery time, at no expense to the quality of the project or the accuracy of the budget estimate.
Traditional drafting and computer-aided drafting (“CAD”) techniques only serve to disseminate all of the information involved in designing and detailing a construction project and are time-consuming processes that require a high-level of interdisciplinary communication and management between architects, engineers, and contractors. What is missing from traditional design and construction processes is a means to quickly store, manage, and communicate all of the detailed knowledge and professional experience required by the various disciplines involved in the project in order to permit expeditious and extremely accurate estimates for the mechanical systems.
Therefore, what is needed is a computer-implemented automated modeling capability integrated with a computer integrated manufacturing environment within a single system.